Memo

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
MEMO
Brussels,
Frequently Asked Questions on the new School Scheme
for Milk, Fruit and Vegetables
What are the current EU Schemes?
There are currently two separate EU-funded school distribution programmes under the
EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that specifically target children in schools: the
School Milk Scheme (SMS), set up in 1977, and the School Fruit & Vegetables Scheme
(SFVS), set up in 2009.
Although there are differences in their design and administration, these schemes have the
same basic aims: encouraging the consumption of fruit and vegetables and of milk and
milk products, as these have proven benefits in terms of public health, and durably
increasing the share of these products in the diets of children when their eating habits are
being established.
Who benefits from the current Schemes?
Member States' participation in the schemes is voluntary.
School Milk Scheme

27 Member States participate in the scheme

Nearly 20 million children across the EU benefit from this scheme every year (latest
figures for 2013/2014 school year)

The most frequently distributed products are drinking milk, flavoured milk,
fermented milk products, cheese.

The level of the EU aid is € 18.15 per 100 kg of milk, with a maximum quantity of
0.25 litre of milk equivalent per pupil per school day (resulting in more than
EUR 65 million of EU funding per year). In 2013/14, EU spending amounted to EUR
67.9 million, with the estimate for 2014/15 put at EUR 65 -70 million.
School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme

25 Member States participate in the scheme

More than 10 million children, in 68 773 schools across the EU benefit from this
scheme every year (latest figures for 2014/2015 school year)

Children are offered mainly fresh fruit and vegetables (mainly apples, oranges,
bananas, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers)

The total EU budget is of € 150 million per year, which is supplemented by
additional
amounts
from
national
public
or
private
contributions.
MEMO/14/69
Why do the 2 schemes need to be changed?
While pursuing the same basic aims, the two schemes were set up at different times and
with different sets of rules. A Court of Auditors report in 2011 recommended a number of
changes in order to make them more effective, including better coordination and
consistency between the two schemes in order to improve management efficiency.
External evaluations for both the school milk scheme and the school fruit scheme also
made suggestions on potential efficiency gains.
What are the main changes under the new scheme?

A common legal framework should reduce the administrative and organisational
burden by removing overlapping requirements from the two current separate
schemes, and also give greater coherence with the policy objectives related to
agriculture and public health. This framework will nevertheless retain separate
budgetary envelopes to take into account the specificities of fruit and vegetables on
the one hand and milk and milk products on the other hand.

In order to take a more medium-term approach, and simplify and streamline
obligations, Member States will need to outline a six-year strategy for
implementing the scheme, rather than the current two different annual strategies.

Focus will be on the priority provision of fresh fruit and vegetables and of
drinking milk, as the drop in consumption has been particularly marked for these
products, thereby targeting resources where they are most needed and most likely
to have an impact. To respond to particular nutritional needs, such as intolerance
to lactose, and to ensure a varied diet, Member States may supplement this with
the distribution of processed fruits and vegetables and other milk products. They
may also integrate other agricultural products such as honey and olive oil through
educational thematic measures.

The educational dimension will be enhanced through activities such as farm
visits, school gardens, tasting sessions, cooking classes, until now only applicable
to the school fruit scheme. These activities are crucial for the success of the
scheme in promoting healthy eating and raising children's awareness of issues such
as the variety of agricultural products, sustainability, nutritional aspects,
environmental issues and food waste.
How much money will be available for the new scheme?
€ 250 million per year will be available, of which € 150 million for fruit and vegetables (as
at present) and € 100 million for milk (an increase from the proposed EUR 80 million).
Member States may transfer up to 20% (25% in particular circumstances) of their
allocation from one sector to the other.
How will the allocations among Member States be decided?
Allocations will be based on the number of 6 to 10-year-old children in the Member State
combined, for milk, with the historical use of funds. The figures will also take account of
the degree of development of regions so as to give higher aid for less developed regions,
2
including the outermost regions and Aegean islands. A minimum threshold will apply for
the smaller Member States.
Final allocations will also depend on the amounts that Member States request - with the
possibility of re-allocating amounts that are not taken up in Member States programmes.
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